For you beginners out there learning to play chords you are going to love this!
So you’re struggling making that dreaded change from C to G!(or any tough change). What are your options….practice over & over & over…best option! Practice slow and keep your rhythm…great option. Get frustrated and throw your guitar against the wall…not recommended, condoned or liable if you do try it!!!!
The not so secret is if you keep practicing you WILL get it!
The secret is there is a ‘cheating’ technique, although it is not cheating because guitarists do this all the time. Even arguably the greatest rock song of all time Stairway to Heaven employs this method.
Use a strum that ends in an eighth note, i.e., 1 2+ 3 4+ where the numbers are strummed down and the +(ands) are strummed up.
On the very last strum, the up stroke of beat 4, take your left hand off the neck and strum the open strings. Use this ‘free time’ to get to the next chord on rhythm for beat 1.
So the strum would go 1 2+ 3 4-(open strum), 1 2+ 3 4-(open strum)
Try it out it makes life much easier to change your chords and sounds stylistically correct.
Good luck and keep at it…it WILL come!
Mike Slayen ~ Guitarist 
Thank you for this post. Yes, it surely works. This technique should not be called ‘cheating’ because it is just being more creative and inventive. There are certain rules in guitar playing but if you are holding your guitar, you are free to add on some of your own rules. Just keep practicing, though.
Thanks for stopping by! Agreed, it is not cheating…my experience with especially beginning adults is that they are really concerned about learning the ‘right way’ …There are infinite different ‘ways’…and if anyone knows the ‘right way’ I hope they let me know!